February 13, 2010
Get ready for some busy days ahead!
Hello there! It’s so nice to see you! I’m Miss Paisley, and I’ve actually been a Bee since I was a very young gipper. First, I was a “busy bee” at Busy Days Preschool, where I adored the mascot bee with all the unbridled enthusiasm of a five-year-old.
Then, my first job out of college was as a daily news reporter at the Record-Bee newspaper! Of course, the bee was also the mascot there. On a recent visit back to my hometown paper, my dear friend and editor of the Bee gifted me this lovely hat:
Please excuse the harsh lighting. It's a self-portrait taken late at night, after seeing Dear John at the movies
Which I think is so appropriate considering I’m once again…a bee!
I can’t wait to get started telling you all about our chic, family-lake-house wedding we’re planning. Get ready for a healthy serving of DIY projects, a little letterpress printing, and a side of bumps, surprises and relationship lessons.
But first, let me tell you more about Mr. Paisley and me. He’s a Spanish professor, and I’m a journalist. I used to work as an editor for a national glossy magazine, before I decided to start my freelance writing career last summer (so glad I did).
Professor and Miss Paisley, aboard the Paisley Italian Stallion (Vespa)
Professor Paisley and I met on the forever-exquisite day of Jan. 3, 2007. The date is seared into my mind because I was moving back to Santa Cruz to complete my Feminist Studies degree after just having finished a 10-month stint in the UC Center Sacramento journalism program. The future-Professor-Paisley greeted my mom and me in the hallway.
“He is SO cute!” I said to Mama Paisley.
“And he’s a professor, too!” I squealed. “Biology, wasn’t it?”
“I think he said Spanish…but now don’t you go after him, young lady!” Mama Paisley warned. I’m pretty sure she even wagged her finger.
She was right about the first part–the Spanish Professor bit–but the second? O-oh no! I’m glad I made the first move. He followed up with a date to Greek food, and we’ve been pretty much inseparable since, save one year when he was in Orange County and I was up in NorCal working. Let’s just say there were a lot of long nights in the newsroom followed by 8-hour-long drives with me arriving in the OC at 5 or 6 a.m., only to turn around and leave again 24 hours later. Yup, it was love!
Together, we’re a couple of goofballs who dig all things outdoors. He’s a Utah boy and an avid rock climber. I’m a NorCal-turned-SoCal girl, and an ex-river-rafting guide and ropes course facilitator.
Here we are in August about to summit Mt. Whitney, with Groomsman Josh. I think we all look pretty funny.
But not as funny as this:
It ain't called an Italion STALLION for nothin'
Weddingbee has been an important community for me for the last year-plus, so you can imagine I’m feelin’ extra honored to be here. I relish this opportunity to build friendships in the ‘hive, hear what you have to say and share my thoughts.
With less than 5 months until the wedding, get ready for some busy bee days ahead!
December 23, 2009
Blues, or Bluegrass? Finding and Booking the Band
Finding a band was something I originally asked Mr. Paisley to do, but gradually, as summer turned to fall, and Mr. Paisley got wrapped up in teaching and his Ph.D. studies (um, so FREAKIN’ proud of him, I’m not about to mess with that!), I realized I may as well take on the task. And what a doozie of a task it ended up being!
I started looking into big band music. Too expensive all around. I didn’t reeeeally want a DJ…so, I turned to my favorite ‘Bee, Miss Cowboy Boot, for her bluegrass band inspiration!
I contacted her band, Elephant Revival, and their manager was very nice and said he’d ask the band if they’d want to go to California in the summer. To encourage them, I spent hours researching Bluegrass festivals where they could get gigs around my wedding, to make it worth it.
Sadly, I never did get a response back from the band manager. No matter! My brother, a musician, insisted that whatever talent Colorado had in bluegrass bands, California had in spades! All that research into festivals paid off in that I had contact numbers of a lot of festival managers. You know what else led me to bands really well? Hotels and their entertainment pages. Some hometown boutique B&B’s gave me some good leads, too.
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if I spent around 50 hours researching and listening to bands. I primarily relied on Myspace music and bands’ websites to listen to their stuff. I contacted a LOT of bands.
One day, I found a positive review on Project Wedding of an affordable blues band, called Quinn DeVeaux and The Blue Beat Review. My interest piqued, I Googled away.
After emailing Quinn, I got a reply straight away that they’d love to play at our wedding despite the 2-hour drive, and they could meet my budget, too!
My best friend and one of my bridesmaids also approved of their music, and suggested we go see them live in S.F. the day before our planned get-together to go see the 49ers play the Jaguars.
They. Were. Phenomenal.
Hip, young, interesting. A “backwater blues” sound mixed with Ray Charles. Dressed to kill, the ladies, three backup singers called “The Quinntettes,” wore chic black sheath dresses and each wore a different jewel-colored pair of elbow-length gloves. 
The crowd was PACKED into the Revolution Cafe. They stopped letting people in, it got so crowded. People were dancing, and talking about how they loved this band.
Quinn DeVeaux and The Blue Beat Review
I hadn’t let Quinn know I would be there. I wanted to see them without them feeling a bit nervous that a potential client was in the audience (if that would even phase them, probably not). Anyway, I chatted with one of the singers after their set, and she introduced me to Quinn. I really liked him. We briefly discussed some more details, and he said he’d have his manager send me a contract.
I emailed him again, and was surprised when a whole month went by with no reply. A bit concerned, I emailed again asking what was up. They must have not gotten my other email, or let it slip, but I felt better when I got a few emails back right away from the band manager, and also got my contract. She was on top of it, writing my details into the contract perfectly, and so enthusiastically! You gotta love it when your vendors actually WANT your business. I’ve definitely had my fair share of vendors who didn’t seem to care and/or want my patronage.
All told, I’ve finished reviewing the contract and have mailed in the deposit, and I’m super, super stoked for our backwater blues band to play at the wedding!
Listen to Quinn DeVeaux and The Blue Beat Review on YouTube: Lil 45 by Quinn DeVeaux
Was it a long ordeal (that ended up being worth it) to find and book your band? Tell me the details!
December 1, 2008
A big blog’s coming my way!
Never thought I’d see the day, a big blog’s coming mah way!
I’m Miss Junebug and I never thought I’d blog. But I hope to impart some northern California, wine country lovin’ to all you budget savvy brides hoping to create your special day. I plan to blog about all things wedding related, as I experience them: finding the venue, the dress, the story of how I met my man, how I’m making our wedding our own and how I’m resisting what I call the “wedding industrial complex”!
First, a little about moi! I’m a writer. I wrote for a national magazine until I decided to try freelancing. Now I spend my days planning how to start my own business (more on that later), freelance writing/editing, contemplating selling my eggs to raise money for the wedding (haha, j/k), and of course, in front of the computer surfin’ wedding blogs and sites for inspiration and escapism.
A little about Mr. Junebug. Wow, did I hit the jackpot. No, seriously, as I speak, my man has mop in hand and I never asked him to lift a finger. He is the sweetest, funniest man. He cooks every night, gives me massages and is always up for a stimulating conversation about Derrida or whether or not the subaltern can speak. He’s an intellectual. Getting his Ph.D. I am so stinking proud of him!
